June 10 (UPI) — Former President Donald Trump is expected to virtually attend a pre-sentencing probation interview after he was found guilty in his New York hush-money trial.
Trump is expected to attend the interview from his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Fla., ABC News, NBC News and The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
A female New York probation officer will conduct the interview with Trump over a special virtual network that features increased security — not Zoom — NBC News reported.
Pre-sentencing interviews are usually routine for those convicted of state and federal crimes before sentencing, giving the judge additional insight and information before sentencing, however, it is rare for them to be conducted via video conference.
In another anomaly, Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case, signed an order last week allowing Trump’s defense attorney, Todd Blanche, to be present for the interview even though they are usually conducted outside of the presence of the defendant’s lawyers.
Merchan will get a chance to examine the interview before sentencing Trump on July 11, just days before the Republican National Convention where the GOP is expected to formally name him their candidate to run against Democratic President Joe Biden in the November general election.
While Trump could be sentenced to up to four years in prison, most legal experts expect him to receive probation given his lack of a previous criminal record age, among other issues that could be considered.
As he approaches sentencing, Trump has remained defiant, promising to appeal and calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to step in.
“President Trump and his legal team are already taking necessary steps to challenge and defeat the lawless Manhattan [district attorney’s] case,” Steven Cheung, Trump’s campaign spokesman said in a Sunday statement.
A Manhattan jury found Trump guilty last month on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments for adult film actress Stormy Daniels to protect his 2016 election chances.